NEWARK -- Marilyn Gaynor, Newark's former public buildings manager, and an associate have been indicted on charges of enlisting city workers to perform renovations on her Newark home and submitting false overtime slips to pay the employees for the work.

An Essex County grand jury returned the indictment against Gaynor, 57, and Mauro Jacome, 64, of Newark, the department's former project coordinator, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office said today.

The defendants were charged with official misconduct, theft by deception, falsifying records, forgery and conspiracy and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Gaynor resigned from her $103,433 post in February amid a Newark inspector general's investigation into her "inappropriate use of city employees' time," a spokeswoman for Mayor Cory Booker said.

Newark's inspector general, James Wright, today commended the city workers who came forward to expose the case.

"The vast majority of Newark's municipal employees do their jobs. Our task is to deal with the small minority that abuse their positions, the public dollar, and the public trust," Wright said. "In this case, these individuals were abusing their power and position, and we moved against them actively and in a professional manner."

The former staffers are accused of having city workers report to Gaynor's home on their days off to perform renovations and then compensating the workers by approving and submitting false overtime forms to the city.

Today, Brandon Minde, the assistant prosecutor handling the case, declined to discuss the extent of the renovations or the amount billed the city.

Patricia Rivera, the West Orange attorney representing Gaynor, chastised the prosecutor's office, saying she had not been notified of the indictment. "I have to call her now and tell her," she said of Gaynor.

Rivera attributed the basis of the charges to a "disgruntled employee."

"She's a consummate professional," she said Gaynor. "Any work done in her home she paid for. I do know that."

Jacome could not be reached for comment. A Newark spokeswoman said he was suspended from his post without pay.

Gaynor joined the Booker administration after serving on his 2006 mayoral campaign as a paid political consultant.

After being hired by the city in July 2006, Gaynor was put to work cataloging Newark's public buildings and their conditions. She completed the task in less than three months and was promoted to head of public buildings. In that position, she helped refurbish the city's recreation centers, something Booker often cites as one of his early accomplishments.

In January 2007, Booker signed an executive order raising her salary by $11,385, to $103,433.

Before working for Booker, Gaynor helped run non-profit community organizations. She also worked as an administrative analyst in the administration of former Mayor Sharpe James.